The following recipes are from the 2010 IPNC Wine is Food: The Art of Pairing Pinot seminar. Each chef prepared a lamb dish to accompany a Pinot noir from one of four growing regions. Click the link below to jump directly to a particular recipe.

Mix all ingredients together and leave to rest, covered in refrigerator overnight. Spoon over grilled or sautéed lamb chops or grilled or roasted leg of lamb.

Lamb: Black Pepper Rubbed, Grapevine Smoked Leg of Anderson Ranch Lamb
Method: Trim the leg of lamb of most of the outside fat. Rub down aggressively with kosher salt, and then with fresh ground pepper. Allow to cure overnight in a refrigerator.
Light a charcoal BBQ and allow to burn down to medium heat. Char lamb legs over the charcoal coals and as the embers start to die down, add generous amounts of grapevine mulch. Smoke until lamb legs reach 125 degrees internal temperature. Remove from BBQ, cover with foil and allow to rest for 45 minutes. Slice thin and top with Mint Salsa Verde and a julienned amarena cherry.

Braise the lamb: Rub the meat with all the cloves, cinnamon, and cumin, the salt and a little olive oil. Let sit overnight in the refrigerator. The next day, heat the olive oil in a large casserole or Dutch oven on medium-high heat. Brown the lamb shanks well on all sides. Remove the lamb and then add the onions; sauté over medium until just beginning to turn gold, about 10 minutes. Add the white wine and scrape up any brown bits to deglaze the pan.
Add back the lamb shanks and add enough broth to just cover the meat. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover. Cook at a gentle simmer until the lamb is almost tender, at least 1 hour and 15 minutes, though maybe a bit longer. Add the carrots and orange zest, then continue cooking until the lamb is just tender, about 25 minutes.
Add the olives and cook another 25 minutes until the lamb is meltingly tender. Taste, and season with salt and pepper if needed.

Meanwhile, make the beans: Heat oven to 250 degrees.
Put the beans, garlic, and olive oil in a ceramic bean pot or other covered dish. Add water just to cover, then cook until very tender, adding more water if the beans on top are uncovered. This usually takes 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

Cook the tomatoes: Heat oil in a large sauté pan until just before smoking. Carefully add the tomatoes all at once. Sauté, tossing often, until the tomatoes just start to collapse and release their juices. Season with salt and pepper; keep warm until just before serving.

To serve, mix the herbs and orange zest together (the gremolata). Fold the beans into the warm lamb shanks and serve garnished with tomatoes and sprinkled with gremolata.

The recipe is written for currants or cranberries, but you could also use gooseberries, or diced apricots, peaches, plums or persimmons – just pick what looks great in season. Freeze any excess sauce and serve it with your Thanksgiving turkey.

In a large saucepan, sauté the onions in the grapeseed oil over medium heat until soft and translucent; stir in the thyme and salt. Add the fruit and the white wine. Bring heat up to a light simmer. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is reduced by a third and the fruit is entirely incorporated. Slowly pour the hot contents of the pan through a sieve into a bowl, using a ladle or the back of a large spoon to crush the fruit and squeeze out all the puréed flesh. Discard solids and return the liquid to pan. Bring the fruit juice to a simmer and continue cooking until thick and syrupy. Drizzle in the honey, stirring, to taste.

Put all the ingredients in a medium saucepan, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer uncovered until the lentils are tender but not falling apart, 30 to 40 minutes. Drain any liquid and fish out and throw away the bay leaf and all the vegetables. Cool in the refrigerator. Remove from fridge 30 minutes before you want to eat them so they come to room temperature. Dress with high quality assertive olive oil, salt and pepper. Serve the lentil salad under any roasted or grilled meats – especially lamb. Garnish the meat with a few spoonfuls of the plum relish.

Remove the inside of the lemon and most of the pith, so you just have mostly the peel. Finely dice the peel. Combine the plums, lemon peel, fresh thyme, olive oil, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir well to incorporate the seasoning. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.